The Wildcat's Waiting Noose
by ShowMeYourFury
Summary: One of the most vicious outlaws in the country has finally been captured, and must now be transported to Atlas to be tried. Weiss Schnee volunteers, and, after hiring the brutal but effective bounty hunting team of Yang Xiao Long and her sister Ruby Rose, must collect the prisoner and deliver them alive to the Atlesian court.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Cover Art: [SidusRie] on DeviantArt**

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"I was behind the bar, wiping down a glass when I heard the clatter of hooves stumbling to a stop just outside the door, and then two pairs of boots struck the ground. Next thing I hear is her say 'Mind the horses, sis, I got some business to tend to.', and then a silhouette appears behind the doors, outlined in the gold of the mid-afternoon sun like an angel dropped straight out of heaven. She pushed open the doors, and _BAM!_ All eyes are on her.

"Damn, what a woman. Blonde hair brighter than the sun at high noon dangling down her back, cushioning one of them wide-brimmed duster hats you see a lot out west, and purple eyes that blazed like the star over Bethlehem. You want to find her, you ask anyone if they seen those eyes. Anyway, she stomps across my saloon in her tall leather cavalry boots leavin' dust all over my floor, her spurs clinking with every step, her hands restin' on a pair of revolvers strapped 'round her hips, and _God_ _damn_ what hips, and leans onto my bar. Her hat comes off and she puts it on the table and shakes her head, and I can see all my boys watchin' her, drooling like the mangy hounds they are, but I nod my head and tell 'em to settle. Y'see, I know this girl, and this girl you don't mess with, so I told 'em to settle.

"She turns to me and says 'Howdy, Junior, been a while. Where are the twins?' So I say 'Upstairs with a couple customers.' Then she smiles, winks at me, and heads upstairs. 'Watch my hat for me, darlin', I won't be long.' she says, and I watch as she climbs up my steps to the second floor. Now, I got a nose for trouble, and she put up a mighty stink with that smile of hers, so I had one of my boys watch the place and followed her up. That girl puts fear in my bones, but don't tell anyone, got it?

"So I follow her up, quiet as I can, and I see her standing by one of the rooms, her hands on those revolvers. I know what's comin' next, but I can't look away. Y'see, about an hour 'afore she got here, I had none other than Mercury Black wander in askin' for a room. I'm no man to turn away someone like him, so I chucked him a key and off he went. If I'd known, well... Maybe I wouldn't have to replace a door.

"As I'm watchin', she kicks open the door and layin' there's Black with one of my twins crouched over him, the both of 'em straddled in bedsheets, mouths open and eyes wide, and I see him see her and reach for his gun. Maybe if he'd been faster or she'd been slower I wouldn't have to replace a _bed_ too. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! My ears were ringin' as she hooked her guns back into their pockets and turned on her heel, pushing past me back to the bar. That room looked straight out of hell, Black's brains splattered all over the headboard and walls, and my poor sweet Miltia screamin' her dear head off.

"I stumble back down to the bar, and she's sitting there smokin' with one hand and drinking with the other, looking mighty pleased with herself. 'Sorry 'bout the mess, Junior. You know I'm good for it.' she says. I say 'Blondie, I don't know why you keep comin' here but I don't want you here again!', but she just laughs and says 'That's what you said last time!'. But this time I meant it, I didn't want to see her again, so I whistle and all my boys stand up. Maybe if I hadn't been so angry, I wouldn't have to replace some of my boys.

"She sees what's goin' on and sets down her drink, plopping her smoke back between her lips and stands from the bar stool and now I'm lookin' into those purple eyes the same way you look down a gun barrel. 'You kickin' me out, Junior?' she asks as she walks to me and she stands too close; I'm smellin' the drink on her breath and sweating, prayin' to the Almighty above. It was 'bout now I'm thinking I probably just made my last mistake, and the devil and I would be shaking hands in a minute or two. Tryin' to defuse the situation, I say 'Don't do something we'll both regret, Blondie...', but I swear she took that as a _challenge_. She smiled, and I got an itch so bad in my nose that I thought it'd come alive and was trying to run away on its own.

"One of my boys, the damn fool, walks over and grabs her arm. Next thing I know he's upside-down in the corner spittin' out teeth because, and I'll be damned, she _threw_ him across the room. Now, I'm thinking 'Damn, better end this quick before she kills us all!' so I wave all my boys in and we rush her. Faster than a blink of an eye, those revolvers are out and it's ' _BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!_ ' all over again. I won't go into the dirty details, to spare your fragile ears, but I watched from underneath a table as she walked out, pulling her hat onto her head and scraping blood off her heels.

"So, I don't know why you're looking for her, but _that's_ who Yang Xiao Long is. The beautiful blonde bounty hunter, faster than a rattlesnake and three times as deadly. Anything else I can do for you, honey?"

The cloaked figure sitting on the opposite side of the table unlinked their fingers and stood, the ends of the long white woolen coat brushing the tops of finely tooled leather boots the color of fresh snow, reaching into a hidden pocket and pulling out a fat wallet. "You would make a fine orator, Mr. Xiong. I've dined with men twice as educated who have half your skill. I very much appreciate the information you have given me." The figure placed five twenty lien notes on the table, securing them under an empty glass tumbler. "For your services."

As the figure turned to leave, white-gloved fingers pulling the hood low, Junior chuckled to himself and swiped the lien off the table. "A pleasure to be of aid, Ms. Schnee." The figure whipped around, a hand flying back to rest on a silver-handled derringer holstered on its hips, but Junior's upheld hands made it pause. "Yes, Ms. Schnee, I know it is you. Your family is famous, even all the way out here in Vale. It makes one curious, however, to find a Schnee girl alone in unfamiliar country." He grinned, raising his eyebrow in a hyperbolic expression of curiosity, and tapped his index finger twice on the table's surface.

The figure relaxed, reaching up and pulling down the obscuring hood. Alabaster hair tied into a tight bun was the first thing revealed, closely followed by dazzling blue eyes, sharper than needles, that rested above an aristocratic nose that curled up at the end to give off an air of haughty nobility. As the hands descended back to her sides, and the light was allowed to brighten her face, a long, jagged line of pink skin that dashed across Weiss Schnee's left eye was presented, and Junior whistled in appreciation. Weiss pulled out her wallet once again, dropping two more lien notes onto the table. "For your silence, if you please."

Junior mimed a bow while remaining seated. "Have no fear, milady. I wouldn't make much business if I didn't know how to keep a secret or two."

"Then I wish you a good day, Mr. Xiong." Weiss snapped her wallet shut and tossed her head as she made her way to the exit.

"One more thing, Ms. Schnee," Junior shouted as he counted his money, catching Weiss just before she reached the saloon doors, "Don't ask about her three rules!"

"Is that your nose talking, or just a general word of advice?"

"Both. Excuse the expression, ma'am, but you bein' here by yourself stinks bad, but you, alone _and_ looking for Xiao Long... That smells worse than a faunus latrine."

The scarred Schnee smirked, raising her hood back over her head as she stepped out of the saloon and back into the dusty street. "I'll keep that in mind when I meet her..."

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 **Author's Notes:** Let me begin by saying that this chapter is not entirely indicative of the style of the rest of the story; it was something I wanted to try, and I'd like your opinion on how it worked. I also don't really plan on including that many more references to Christianity or biblical stories, but they'll probably appear again when I feel they're necessary to stay relevant to the time period.

I realize Westerns are not the most popular genre for RWBY fanfiction (there being only seven other stories on the whole site that aren't crossovers with something), but I've had this idea for a while and wanted to give it a shot. Hopefully it all works out.

Please let me know what you thought!

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Please remember to review/favorite/follow the story!**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	2. Never Meet Your Heroes

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

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A beady-eyed crow cawed a warning to its fellows who dotted the dusky green scrub land before flapping away from its perch at the top of a dull brown telegraph tower, scared off by Weiss' dapple gray gelding as it bore her down the bumpy dirt road, the tired beast's tail twirling as it swatted at the fat black flies that swarmed around its flanks. The buzzing insects were energetic during the long, hot afternoons and hungry for horse blood. Weiss could feel her mount's exhaustion in every slow, dragging step, the juddering thuds of its hooves against the dry ground shivering through her body and scraping her hard leather saddle against the inside of her legs, which were already sore from a whole day's riding.

The pair of travelers had begun the day some twenty or so miles; by Weiss' untrained estimation; to the east, spending the night in a small hotel on the edge of Vale City that had had scratchy bedsheets on a too-small bed, rising early to follow the sun west. They had stopped in every tiny conglomeration of buildings that passed for a town along the way, both of them happy for the short but frequent rests. In the last such town, the overly friendly bartender, probably so after seeing her heavy purse, had said with certainty that a blonde girl fitting Weiss' description had passed through just the day before, heading for Patch, a mining town less than a half day's ride away. "The filthy liar should be flogged..." Weiss mumbled through parched lips. There hadn't been a place to stop and drink for the last several hours, and the early Summer's sun set the air to a boil.

Her horse's weariness was mirrored on its rider; Weiss sat slumped over in the saddle, her sweat-soaked hands laying heavy against the pommel, the slack reins lightly held between her tired fingers. The hood of her cloak kept her face shaded from the burning sunlight, but the rest of the cape only served to contain the heat beneath its cover, and her cotton shirt clung to her back, stuck and stained in sweat. She grimaced with every jostle of her body, her moist wool pants rubbing uncomfortably against her thighs and knees, and pain flared every time her rear hit the saddle. Her mouth hung open, taking deep raspy breaths of the sun-scorched air, her dry tongue fruitlessly running across her thin lips to try and wet them. She whispered a prayer to the sky for a place to rest. Even a rocky outcrop would do; it wouldn't kill her if she had to sleep outside for _one night_.

Luckily for her butt and her horse's hooves, after following the road around the base of a hill the red-shingled roof of a clock tower poked into view from between two short cedars, signaling her arrival to Patch. "Thank the Lord..." Much needed water and rest awaited them in the mining town.

As she passed a tall sign painted with the words 'Welcome to Patch!' the church bell rang six times, the loud ' _Bong!_ 's echoing through the small valley the town dwelt in, and soon the street that had been empty during her approach was filled with miners, covered in grime from their work, each man making his way to one building or another. Weiss guided her exhausted beast through the growing crowd, aiming for a two-story saloon with a trough of water sitting by its doors. Descending from the saddle with a groan, she hastily tied her horse to a post and stroked its neck as the poor thing guzzled water, taking a moment to stretch her legs before she entered the bar. She was too tired to worry about her packs, trusting that no one would go through her things while the street was so busy.

The well-greased doors swung open easily at her touch as she stepped out of the hateful sun and into the welcome darkness of the ale house, but she kept her hood pulled over her head lest someone recognize her as easily as Junior had the previous day. Relief replaced fatigue when no heads turned to face the latest patron and she staggered on weak legs to the bar, opting to stand rather than take one of the few available stools; the ache in her rear hadn't gone away yet. The bartender, an amiable looking old man with hardly any gray hair left on his head, wandered across to her, placing down the rag he held and resting his elbows on the polished wood. "What would you like, darlin'?"

"W-Water. Please." Weiss pulled a lien out of her pocket and slid it across the surface, but the bartender shook his head.

"Don't worry 'bout it, honey, 's on the house." he said, winking at her before turning around and grabbing a small glass from a cabinet. He filled it from a pitcher set next to a row of taps and plopped the drink in front of her.

"Th-Thank you." The water was divine, sliding down her throat and putting fresh energy into her body and mind. The bartender, seeing her content, started to walk to his next customer, but Weiss put out a finger to hold his attention for a moment longer. "May I ask you a question, sir?"

The man laughed. "A 'please', a 'thank you', and a 'sir' all in one day? Girl, you have more manners than the entire town put together! Ask." He refilled her cup.

Finishing her fresh dose of water with a sigh of satisfaction, Weiss asked, "Have you seen a woman with blonde hair and purple eyes come through here?"

The man's smile dropped and his expression grew stiff. "Why would someone like you be lookin' for Yang Xiao Long, huh?" He leaned forward, keeping his voice low, "You should stay away from her, she'd be trouble for someone like you." His eyes flicked behind Weiss at the clacking sound of the saloon doors being pushed open and left to smack closed. "Speak of the devil and she doth appear..."

Weiss listened to the steady, confident rhythm of leather boots walking across the wooden floor, remaining still as the footsteps approached the bar. "Hey, you old geezer, gimme a whiskey." Weiss glanced to her side, where a tall woman in a long brown jacket and wide-brimmed hat sat on one of the stools, her boots tucked up onto one of the rungs. A wild mane of curly blonde hair flowed down the woman's back, and as she reached into her pocket for some money, displacing her coat, Weiss spotted a gleaming revolver with a golden grip tucked into its holster. As if feeling her gaze, the woman's head turned to face her, and Weiss was met with stunning purple eyes boring into her. 'Like the star above Bethlehem' was an understatement. After a moment, the eyes lost their hardness and looked her up and down, a slight grin pulling at Yang Xiao Long's mouth. "What're you lookin' at, princess?" Her voice was rough, with a heavy Southern twang. Yang turned back to the bar when her drink was placed before her. "You never told me you got a new barmaid, old man." She took a swig, swiveling in her seat toward Weiss. "This one is _fine_. Let me see your face, darlin'." Her fingers brushed against the hood, and Weiss jerked away.

"Keep your hands off me, you-"

Yang's boisterous laugh boomed through the bar. "Haha! Ooh, geezer, you got a good one." She grabbed Weiss' wrist and pulled the smaller girl closer, causing Weiss to lose her balance and have to hold onto the bar to keep from falling to her knees. "Have you seen the rooms upstairs yet, honey? Maybe you and I should check 'em out _together_."

With her arm bound in the blonde's fierce grip, Weiss pushed herself to her feet and reached to her hip, gripping her silver derringer. Snarling, she swung the small gun out of its hidden holster and pointed the barrels at Yang's chest. "Let me go, you uncouth lecher!"

Purple eyes glanced at the gun then slowly ambled up Weiss' body to stare into frosty blue. "Now I like her even more," A smile split Yang's face as her fingers unclenched from Weiss' thin wrist, the blonde holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "Always been a fan of the feisty ones."

The bartender shouted, "Young lady, put that thing away before someone gets hurt! No fighting allowed!"

Weiss kept the pistol aimed at the bounty hunter's chest as she backed toward the door. "You..! You..! How dare you! If we were in Atlas I'd-" If they were in Atlas, the blonde would have been hanged by sunset. But they weren't in Atlas, something that Weiss was constantly reminded of. She'd never be allowed to set foot in a bar if they were in Atlas, and certainly never be allowed to travel on her own. Pouring all her wrath into one final glare, Weiss stuffed her derringer pack into its pocket and turned around with a huff, only too late feeling the fingers that held the seam of her hood.

The cloth fell from her head to pile about her shoulders, revealing her snow-white hair that shined even in the dimness of the bar, and Weiss froze as a quiet gasp wound its way around the saloon. "Well shoot, snow angel, I _thought_ you smelled rich, but not _that_ rich. What's a Schnee doing alone all the way out here, huh?"

She knew she should just keep her mouth shut and continue out the bar, but the fierce desire to put the bothersome blonde in her place was too strong. Without turning around, she growled "I _was_ looking for the most efficient bounty hunter in the West, but she seems to be more preoccupied with _drink_ and... and _women_!" She twisted to face Yang, her displeasure showing in an angry scowl. "The legends we hear back east give you too much credit. You are the same unrespectable, belligerent filth that floods the alleys of our city, wishing ill on all their fellows who have even an ounce of greater fortune." Yang recoiled as if suddenly smelling something foul, raising an offended eyebrow. "You are greedy, dirty, and rude, and I won't have anything more to do with you." Her tirade finished, she pushed through the doors, leaving the bar shocked silent.

Stumbling as she stepped down from the saloon's raised porch, Weiss cursed and grumbled to herself while she made her way back to her horse, pulling her hood back over her head to try and salvage some anonymity before the whole town – or the whole countryside – knew that a Schnee girl was in Patch. Word had most likely already reached home that she'd been spotted in Vale City.

The sight of an unfamiliar pair of boots beside her horse, visible through the beast's legs, stirred her ire, and she increased her pace. "Stop, you mongrel! Get away from my horse!" When she came about on the other side, pistol in hand, the startled expression on a young girl's face made her freeze in her tracks, puffs of dust pluming from the toes of her riding boots. "What, who, who are _you_? What are you doing to my horse?" The girl's hands were entwined in one of Weiss' pack's laces, the knot half undone, but there was no glimmer of guilt in the girl's startlingly silver eyes.

"Oh, is this one yours?" she asked, turning her attention back to her business with Weiss' bags. When she finished tying the knot she took a step back, tucking her hands into the shallow pockets of a pair of black wool pants with patches of brown leather sewn onto the sides, admiring her handiwork with a friendly grin. "Your gloves, mighty fine ones if I may say, fell off your saddle. I was worried someone might snatch 'em, so I tucked 'em into your bag." Her voice was clear and full of youth, free of the harsh accent that was prominent in the western areas of the country.

"And you thought it best to lay your hands on my belongings? Does _no one_ in this town have any notion of personal property?!"

The girl, slightly shorter than Weiss with a well-trimmed mop of deep red hair that caressed her forehead and the side of her face, shrugged, a confused expression replacing her smile. " Well, umm, I'm beggin' your pardon then. I didn't think anyone'd mind..." She scuffed her shoes through the dirt. "Just thought it was a kindly thing to- OH MY GREAT GOODNESS, IS THAT A SHAWCROSS DERRINGER?!"

Weiss frowned in surprise as the redhead, overcome with a sudden brightness of pure excitement, leaped forward and grabbed her by the arm, pressing her face close to the silver-plated weapon in Weiss' hand. "Hey! What do you think you're-"

"Wow, it is! They only made a hundred of these! Ooh, and it's one of the first fifty too! That's so rare!" Ignoring Weiss' scowl, the young girl fawned over the pistol, turning Weiss' hand to get a better look at every facet of the gun. "It's amazin' that they managed to rifle _both_ barrels; the accuracy on this little shooter is better than almost anything the same size! Where'd you get it?" When she looked up, finally seeing Weiss' mask of offended rage, she pinched her lips together and took a step away, quickly clasping her hands behind her back. "Sorry, ma'am. I went and infringed on your person."

"You most certainly did!" Weiss spat, "What in God's good grace did you think you were doing?"

"It's just that... guns and I... I like them, ma'am." The young girl pointed at Weiss' weapon, "And that one's one of the greatest."

"Well, I-"

Weiss jumped at the sound of clattering wood, whipping her head to her left to find the source of the commotion. Yang Xiao Long emerged from the saloon, one revolver drawn and a furious glare spread across her face as she leapt off the ale house's porch, landing with a ' _thud_ ' and crossing quickly to the pair of women standing by the water trough. "Sis, you alright? I heard you scream an' came runnin'!" She slid to a halt behind the two women, her blazing eyes flicking between each of them. After a moment, recognition flared in her face and she holstered her gun, sighing as she brushed past Weiss to the small redhead. "Sis, what're you doing botherin' her?" Grabbing the girl by the arm, Yang turned to Weiss and tipped her hat. "Sorry, Ms. Schnee, she didn't mean nothin' by it. Ruby, apologize to Ms. Schnee."

"What? Why? Ow!" Yang elbowed Ruby in the side. "Um, sorry Ms. Schnee?" She leaned over to the blonde, muttering, "I didn't even _do_ anything, Yang, why do I have to apologize?"

Craning her head down in a vain attempt to keep their conversation private, Yang whispered back, "Because she's a _Schnee_ , sis. Don't you know who they are?"

"Uh, well, I-"

Weiss' incredulous gasp broke into their discussion, " _You_ are her sister?" She strut in front of the redhead, who jolted to attention under the piercing blue glare. " _You_ are Ruby Rose?" Weiss inspected her from the top of her head to her boots, scowling in disbelief. " _You_ are the _Reaper_?"

Ruby Rose, the famed Red Reaper, blushed and looked away, scratching the back of her head. "Heh, uh, yeah. That's what the papers back east called me after the... the... Which one was it, Yang?"

"I think it was when the Torchwick gang tried to rob that bank."

"Ooh, yeah, that's right! Yup, after that they called me the 'Reaper'." Her toothy smile was filled with pride. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Schnee."

"And are you," Weiss snarled through tightly clamped teeth, "an insufferable, barbaric brute like your sister?" The grin collapsed, the light in Ruby's eyes fading as she looked to her sister in bewilderment. "Get out of my way, I've had enough of this town!" The sisters stepped away to allow Weiss to untie her horse and climb into her saddle, tugging the reins and guiding the still-tired gelding away from the bar. She refused to even glance back to see their reactions, following the road back to the main avenue in search of the fastest way _out_ of Patch.

Unfortunately, her journey out of the town would have to wait until morning. After a quick inspection of her steed revealed that it was in desperate need of rest, Weiss changed course for the closest hotel. It wasn't as though she wouldn't benefit from rest as well, despite her eagerness to leave. An attendant helped her take her bags to her room; a corner suite, importantly equipped with a comfortable queen-sized bed, that overlooked Patch's vital river.

Preparing for bed after a light meal in the hotel's dining room, Weiss changed into her silken nightgown and wrapped herself underneath the bed's warm covers, fluffing the lumpy pillow before laying her head on it's cushioning surface and twisting off the oil lamp on the nearby nightstand, letting darkness fill the room. But much-wanted sleep eluded her; her mind was occupied by swirling thoughts.

Weiss groaned as she rolled onto her back, folding her arms across her chest and staring at the dimly lit ceiling. All the newspaper clippings she kept hidden in a suitcase under her bed at home had lied to her. They had described Yang Xiao Long as a pious woman of captivating beauty, a model citizen who was as adept at cooking and riding as she was at bringing criminals to justice. To Weiss, alone and entrapped by societal expectations, she had been freedom personified, the pinnacle of inspiration.

Although, they had been correct on one matter; Yang Xiao Long had been the most stunningly gorgeous being Weiss had ever seen. When those lavender orbs had pounced upon her...

How unfortunate, then, that her manner and personality were so contrary to their newspaper descriptions. Weiss had expected a heroine that fit the idealized figure her imagination had constructed, and when her first impressions of the blonde bounty hunter had shattered that expectation, it felt like the entire reason she'd started this journey was... false. Though she was loathe to admit it, perhaps her father had been right.

With such disappointment filling her mind, her eyelids slowly lowered, and soon quiet snoozes slipped from her lips as she drifted into a most welcome sleep.

 **…**

Dawn's mellow rays diffused through the thin curtains that covered her room's windows, spreading pale light along the wood-paneled walls and gradually coaxing Weiss to give up on sleep with dismayed reluctance. Neither her mind nor her body were keen on continuing her journey west, and she decided to indulge herself with just a few more moments in bed before setting out on another full day of riding. Sighing and tugging the sheets tight to her neck, she snuggled against her pillow, content to just lay and relax.

"You gon' spend all day layin' there, princess, or should I tell Ruby to warm some coffee?"

Covers flew from the bed as though they were caught in a tornado as Weiss launched upward, clutching the collar of her nightgown close to her chest. "What!?" Her eyes flashed across the large room until they locked onto Yang Xiao Long reclining in a high-backed armchair in a shaded corner, the blonde's brown hat resting on the armrest, her twin revolvers held crossed in her lap. "What in heaven's name are you doing in my room?!"

A crooked grin split Yang's face as she pushed herself out of the chair, holstering her guns and picking up her hat before walking across the room with slow, swaggering footsteps. "My job, darlin'." When she arrived at Weiss' bedside, she reached into the inside of her long jacket and pulled out a large piece of wrinkled paper, dangling it in front of the startled girl. "Daddy wants you home, princess."

Weiss tentatively stretched out her hand and took the paper from the bounty hunter, who let it slip from her grasp and took a step back as Weiss ran her eyes across the page. In large bold letters so fresh the ink still smelled, it read 'REWARD', followed by a blurry photograph of a girl with an unmistakable scar across the left eye. "For the safe return of Weiss Schnee to Snow Dust Acres in Atlas City," she read the small script that underlined the picture aloud, her ears unbelieving of the words her mouth spoke. "A lump sum of-"

The paper was snatched from her grip. "Twenty thousand lien!" Yang crowed as she folded and tucked the note away in some hidden inner pocket of her coat. "Easiest money I ever made in my life! Showed up last night off the telegraph, printers had it out just as I was walkin' by. And little lovely you stayin' right here in my home town!" Chuckling to herself, Yang stepped forward and kneeled onto the bed. "Alright then, princess, time for us to get movin'."

Weiss shied away from the blonde's reaching hand, her heart hammering in her chest as she desperately searched her mind for a solution. It was all over, and too soon! It hadn't even truly begun yet! She'd accomplished nothing! Her frantic gaze fell upon her silver derringer, laying peacefully next to the lamp on the nightstand, and she grasped at it, knocking the lamp over to shatter on the hardwood floor in the process. Armed, she whipped back around. "You won't take me back, you-!"

Strong fingers clamped around her wrist, forcing her arm up to point uselessly at the ceiling. Lavender eyes gleamed with laughter inches in front of her. "Not this time, honey, not this time." Yang's breath smelled like burnt toast as it tickled Weiss' nose. "Come on then, let's go..." Yang lunged forward, wrapping her arms around Weiss' slender waist and hauling her out of bed, draping the screaming girl across her shoulder.

"What are you _doing_?! Put me _down,_ NOW! You beast! You brute! Heathen!" Weiss, still in only her nightgown, was forced to suffer the bounty hunter's shoulder jabbing into her stomach with every step as she was carried out of her room, her fists and knees pounding impotently against the larger woman's back and hips. "I've never been treated with such _indignity!_ "

"Princess, hush up or I'll hush you up." Yang grumbled over her shoulder as she eased her way through the hotel's narrow hallway, careful to keep from bumping her cargo against the walls. "We've got a long ride ahead of us, and I won't tolerate you yappin' the whole way."

Weiss ignored this, shrieking protests at the top of her lungs even as she was bounced against Yang's shoulders as the latter descended the staircase to the ground floor. The attendant and the few other patrons in the lobby stared at the pair of women as they crossed to the entrance, too shocked to comment until after they were gone.

Balmy air and a light gust of wind ruffled Weiss' hair as they emerged onto the street, feeling cold as it whispered through her thin clothing. Her bearer jerked to a halt, and Weiss craned her head to try and see why. "Here you go, sis, got you a gift."

"Wow, thanks!"

"Yup. Now, you remember to take care of the horses and this ole biddy's belongings while I'm gone."

"Sure will, Yang!"

"Good. See you in a few days, and with a big ol' stack of money too!"

She was shifted into motion once again, forced to glower at Yang's heels as she walked across the town. Glancing up, she saw the shrinking figure of Ruby Rose standing next to her gelding and an additional two horses, inspecting her derringer. Her eyes widened as realization flooded her mind. "Wait! Wait!"

"I'm listenin'?" Yang repositioned Weiss on her shoulder, but did not stop walking.

"We're... we're not taking the horses?"

"Course not! That'd take days to get you back to Atlas! No ma'am, our train leaves at nine thirty on the dot! I'll have you home tomorrow! I'll even let you sit on my lap on the way there..."

Tragedy. Defeat. Even as she had been screaming and beating her fists against the blonde, Weiss had been planning her escape. Everyone had to sleep sometime, and she could've ridden away in the night and continued her expedition. If she was put on that train, forced to ride with Yang as a guard, there would be no way to evade returning to Atlas City. And her father. "Wait! No! Just... just stop for a second, you devil!"

"Aww, but darlin', we're almost there!"

Time was scarce, and she was desperate. "Don't put me on that train! Just stop for _one second_!" Yang ignored her, even speeding her pace slightly. "You, you want the money, right? Well, what if I said you could get double! Triple!" She looked down and saw the boards of the train station. "Just _stop_ and I'll tell you how!"

The footsteps stopped.

Weiss felt hands on her waist, and then was ungracefully deposited onto the ground. Yang took a step back, eyeing the shivering girl with skepticism. She crossed her arms, "How, then?"

Huffing her unmade hair out of her eyes and wrapping her arms around her chest to try and retain some amount of her besmirched dignity, Weiss glared at the tall blonde. " _Thank_ you." She was very mindful of the _thinness_ of her clothing, and did not miss Yang's investigative glance downwards. "Ahem." The purple eyes returned to her own, unrepentant. "I am out here to transport a captured criminal to justice. The reward is... comparable to my own. If, if you let me go, and assist me with the travel, you can have it all. We both know _I_ have no need of money." Yang rolled her eyes, but nodded. "And when _that_ is complete, you may escort me, under agreeable conditions, back to Snow Dust Acres and collect _that_ reward, if you wish. Do we have a deal?"

Yang stood silent and still for several moments, her eyes squinted in contemplation. Making a decision, she stepped forward and held out her hand. Just before Weiss took it, however, it retracted, and Yang spat into the palm of her hand before offering it again. At the white-haired girl's grimace of disgust, she said, "There's still plenty of time to put you on that train, darlin'."

"How revoltingly uncultured..." Weiss raised her hand to her mouth and spat, then gripped Yang's sodden hand. "There."

White teeth flashed in the brightening sunlight as Yang grinned and shook their arms up and down. "Deal!" They both released, and Weiss immediately wiped her hand on her nightgown. "Well then, princess, let's go get you dressed for the road. I ain't gonna wait for that money forever, you know." The bounty hunter gave Weiss a gentle shove in the direction of the hotel. "Ruby'll be so surprised!"

* * *

 **Thank you for reading!**

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 **Keep moving forward.**


	3. The First Day's Travel

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Author's Notes:** Fair warning, this chapter is a little rough. I tried to do something, and I don't think it worked very well. This is the first story I've written where it's only from one character's perspective, and it's really annoying not being able to tell you everything that's going on.

* * *

The air inside her room stank of oil as Weiss rushed in, slamming the door behind her, locking out the voices of the sisters as Yang explained their new arrangements to Ruby. Comfortable again in the privacy of her room, Weiss let out the breath she held captured in her lungs, resting her chin against her chest as she slowly relaxed down from her perch on the tips of her toes to her heels. All thought of returning to sleep had vanished in the adrenaline rush of nearly being forced onto a train bound for her home. However, the first pieces of her plan, formerly in shambles, had replaced themselves and slid nicely into place. She now had her desired escort to help transport the prisoner.

Wooden floorboards creaked under her weight as she glided across her room to her packs, stowed away into a corner the previous night, and pulled out her riding clothes. The cotton garments reeked of horse hair and her own sweat, grimy from being unwashed since her departure from Snow Dust Acres some six days ago, but the only other option was an accoutrement of dark wool regalia that she'd smuggled from her wardrobe the night she left. And she'd had enough of the fierce Southern heat yesterday. The light-blue nightgown slithered across her skin as she undressed.

She was sliding her white leather boots over her ankles when there was a knock on her door. "Comin' in princess, hope you're decent!" The tall wood door swung open, and Yang stomped in with a succession of ' _clink_ 's coming from the spurs that adorned her heels. Seeing that Weiss was fully clothed, she muttered, "Darn..."

Weiss glared at the blonde as she finished putting on her boots, then adjusted the clasp of her cloak across her neckline before she stood. "Why are you in my room, Xiao Long? You could've met me by the horses."

Yang's eyes glanced around the room, her body turning as she inspected each corner. "Yeah, I could have, but I had this... this feelin'. Thought maybe you'd need a hand with your luggage," She favored the smaller girl with a sly grin, "Thought I might offer my heartfelt assistance."

Pulling her bags onto her shoulder with a quiet grunt of effort, Weiss glowered at her new companion. "As you can see, your 'assistance' is not required. You may meet me _at the horses_."

"You sure, princess? You look a little off-balance. Let me just grab one of 'em bags."

Weiss jerked back from Yang's offered hand, nearly falling over as the weight of her saddlebags shifted. "No, truly, I'm fine. Please, go." When Yang remained still, she realized why the blonde was _really_ here. Weiss scoffed and rolled her eyes, sneering vilely at the attentive bounty hunter. "I'm not going to try to _escape_ , Xiao Long, you don't have to... to _guard_ me."

Yang held up her hands in a gesture of blamelessness, only the small tweak of her lips informing Weiss that her guess had been correct. "I've been burned one too many times, darlin', what can I say? And you're far too valuable a, reward, to lose."

Pointing her nose to the ceiling, Weiss brushed past Yang and started walking down the hallway. "I know better than to try and outrun two bounty hunters. I'm not that foolish. I'm a _Schnee_ , for God's sake."

Yang followed her, the sounds of her spurs keeping time with the clack of Weiss' heels. "That just means you're _rich_ ," she said, holding up an argumentative finger, "and I've met more'n my fair share of rich idiots."

The blonde finally left her when she stopped to pay her bill at the hotel's front desk, tipping her hat to the attendant before stepping out into the brightening morning. By the time Weiss was outside, both sisters were slouching in their saddles, watching her as she moved to her horse. Yang was mounted atop a towering stallion the color of a beach at sunset, with a mane and tale as dark and delicate as a widow's mourning veil. Ruby was patting the neck of her spry roan mare as it shuffled impatiently around the hotel's porch, as if it was itching for the opportunity to burst into a full gallop. Both horses were laden with a mountain of supplies carried in sun-worn leather packs that made Weiss look impoverished in comparison. Both girls had a gun holstered in a sling attached to the front of their saddles; Yang's had a long double-barreled shotgun, while Ruby's carried a slim rifle with intricate detailing along the stock.

With some difficulty, Weiss managed to get her saddle on, then leaned down to attach her bags. "Do you want a hand, Ms. Schnee?" Ruby was staring at her, glancing uncertainly between the small form of Weiss and the tall flanks of the gray steed.

Weiss scowled at her. "No, _thank you_ , I can do it myself!"

"But-"

Yang's hand on Ruby's shoulder cut off any further attempts at helpful intervention. "Let her do it herself, sis. I'm sure she don't want some people like _us_ messin' up the way she likes her things."

Surely from the tone of her voice Yang had meant to insult her in some manner, but Weiss was content enough to be left to attend to her things alone, although under the judgmental gaze of the pair of bounty hunters.

The sun was like an angry yellow coin in the empty blue sky when the trio finally started toward the edge of Patch, ambling along the wide streets as the town slowly woke up. Weiss led the sisters west, splashing through a natural ford across the river that flowed alongside the mining town, hesitant to use any more visible paths lest she be recognized by the newly printed bounty notices. Soon, the well-trodden dirt road faded into narrow trails of trampled grass, and the travelers spread into a line as Patch disappeared behind the rolling hills that were iconic of Remnant's mid-western countryside.

Long, endless swathes of golden grass rippled in the gentle winds that washed across the sloping plains, speckled with short trees that offered small spots of shade for birds and tiny creatures. The sun was alone in the heavens, baking the earth underneath its gaze. "So, where're we headed?" Ruby asked from the back of the group, breaking what Weiss had thought was an amicable silence.

"Been wonderin' that myself, to be honest." Yang touched her heels to her horses flanks, the sand-colored stallion cantering forward until the blonde was beside Weiss. "Where're you leadin' us to, princess?"

Weiss kept her eyes on the horizon as she answered, "Beacon. It's a mission on the edge of the frontier."

Ruby appeared on her other side, her roan mare's ears flapping at an insistent fly plaguing its head. "Don't they have a train station in Beacon? Why didn't we take the train there? It'd make things faster, if you ask me."

A wry grin spread across Weiss' face as she turned her head toward the young redhead. "Tell me something, Ms. Rose. Whose family do you think _owns_ the trains?" She made little attempt to disguise the acid in her voice.

The redhead's brows drew down. "Umm, doesn't _your_ family-"

"Right. So don't you think that, since my father is trying to find me, there would be posters of my face in every car? And wouldn't a staff member be able to immediately recognize me? And wouldn't they, in an effort to up their standing with my family, or perhaps for a portion of the reward money, find some way to detain me or report my whereabouts to my father?"

"Umm, yes, probably, I think." Ruby's expression fell, her eyes unwilling to meet Weiss' disdainful glower.

" _That's_ why we're not taking the trains. Unless you would enjoy having your twenty thousand lien reward be snatched out from under you."

Yang, on Weiss' left side, burst out laughing at her sister's embarrassment, dropping her reins to clap her hands together. "Haha! Don't feel too bad, Ruby, I hadn't thought of any of that either! Looks like _this_ bounty is smarter than what we're used to, huh? Go an' ride on ahead, sis. See if you can find someplace for us to stop for lunch." When her sister was far enough ahead, leaving the two of them alone, the Yang reached out and grabbed Weiss roughly by arm, pulling her close. The gelding, surprised by the sudden shift in weight to its side, whinnied as it smacked against the giant stallion.

"What are you doing, you brute?!" Weiss' wide eyes widened further when the muzzle of a revolver was pressed against her cheek. "Are you _mad_? I'm worth-"

"I don't care if you're faunus, human, one of the Devil's filthy demons, or even one of the Almighty's all-holy heavenly angels," Yang ground the words through her teeth, snarling directly into Weiss' ear, "If you hurt my sister in any way your daddy can spend that twenty thousand on your headstone. Do you understand?"

Weiss nodded, and the revolver lifted from her skin. She jerked her horse away from Yang's and stared worriedly at the blonde, who was admiring the cloudless sky as though nothing had happened.

"I only got three rules, princess, an' the first one's 'You don't _fuck_ with my sister'. So you watch your tone, got that?"

Weiss stammered several times before managing to gasp out a breathy, "Yes," inwardly cursing at how weak and scared she sounded. It seemed that every passing moment she spent with Yang the less she resembled the figure presented by the newspapers. She wondered if maybe she'd made an error in recruiting the sisters for this adventure. But who else would she have chosen that wouldn't have immediately reported her to her father upon learning her identity? Regardless, she had made some progress today; she knew one of Yang's three rules. "Do you solve all your problems with profanity and violence? Surely there is a more productive and, _civilized_ , manner to conduct yourself?"

The bounty hunter's face took on an introspective expression as she stared ahead, her body gently bouncing in time with her horse's trot. She began slowly, "Maybe you don't know about it in the East, but out here people have a belief that you're born with an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other, an' they tell you what to do. And any civilized person would listen to the angel. Well, the rumor goes that I was born without an angel, that I got two devils instead." A crooked smile split across Yang's face as she turned to face Weiss. "That way the Devil always wins." She turned back, and all her jocularity vanished from her features. "I kill people, darlin'. Always have, always will. It's not God's justice, never is, but the burning, red-winged horror of the Devil himself. It's dirty, and it's bloody, but I'll be damned if I don't enjoy sendin' each evil soul down to hell."

Yang glanced at her, and Weiss had to hold her breath. The purple eyes were hard, filled with the soullessness of a lifetime of murder and deadly struggle, all the light and sparkle that she had seen in the fuzzy photographs missing from the deep, dark depths. It was like looking into a gun barrel; just as caring, just as likely to kill you.

The eyes of Yang Xiao Long.

"I've got no mercy, no patience, and certainly no _civilization_. I've committed more sins than any priest can erase with prayer and forgiveness, an' I know that when it's my time to go Holy God will shake his head, and all them souls I sent to hell will smile when its my turn to drop into those unearthly fires. So, before that time comes, I'm doin' my best to keep the one good thing I know in this world safe."

The obvious question slipped out of her mouth before she could even think to ask it, "Ruby?"

"Aye." A warm smile spread itself across Yang's face. "Girl's the brightest ray of sunshine in my life. The last one I got. Never hurt a soul, only wants to help people." The smile shrank, becoming a frown. "Nothing like me."

"Wait," Weiss' brows furrowed as her mind sifted through Yang's emotional monologue, a small detail nagging her thoughts, "Ruby, Ruby doesn't kill people? But she's the _Reaper_! What about, what about the Torchwick gang? Everything in my collection – ahem, in the newspapers, said that-"

Her confusion brought back Yang's smile, which the blonde put on display for the small woman beside her. "Shot the guns straight outta their hands. Shot the straps of their saddles. Took their hats off like a gust a' wind. Never spilled a drop of blood." Yang's admiration was infectious, and Weiss found herself grinning along with the bounty hunter as the pair crested a hill and were able to watch Ruby's red-coated horse weaving through the grass toward a stand of trees in the distance. The young rider spotted them, and waved her hat to summon them to the upcoming grove. "Well, come on, princess." Yang drove her heels into the flanks of her stallion and galloped away, whooping, "It's lunch time!"

Although her body oozed with a convoluted mixture of emotions after speaking with Yang, Weiss could not help but think that hunger was among the most insistent. She settled for a calm, gentle lope down the hill in pursuit of the thundering yellow stallion, a smile still spreading her lips.

 **...**

Lunch was a brief affair; simple handfuls of bread and cheese hastily pulled out of saddlebags to be munched on while the horses rested and chewed the long grass. Taking time to relieve themselves and give the horses some water from their canteens, the trio of riders were soon back in the saddle, moving at a lazy trot across the open country of western Remnant. They rode with little interruption and less conversation, Weiss leading while the pair of sisters followed at a comfortable distance. Soon enough, the sun began to drip behind the tall mountains that made up the horizon, coloring the sky a wash of orange and red in the west and a deep blanket of purple in the east. Fireflies danced along the fields like earthly stars, twinkling, bouncing lights that swerved away from the horses as the travelers slowed after the long day of riding.

Finding a semi-cleared area, Weiss called for a halt and the three girls began to make camp, picketing the horses to the trunk of a nearby cedar. Yang and Ruby pulled tents from the back of their sizable packs, propping up the shelters on metal stakes at the edges of the clearing. Weiss sat on a flat rock, waving away pesky gnats, watching as the sisters worked and feeling absolutely useless. She didn't have a bedroll to spread out, nor a tent to erect over it. She couldn't even help Ruby start the fire, because she had no idea _how_. She'd spent practically her whole life indoors, with servants to attend to her every whim and keep her from learning how to do anything herself.

Yang, as if sensing her discomfort, stood up from her work on the tents, dusted herself off, and plopped down on the rock beside her. "What's the matter, princess?" She tilted her head upside down to look up into Weiss' dismal expression. Her purple eyes shined through the shadow cast over her face from Ruby's adolescent fire. "You look like you've just lost your prized pooch."

"It's nothing." Weiss snapped, refusing to meet the inquiring gaze. It came out harsher than she had meant it to.

Unperturbed, Yang pressed further, "If it's nothing, why is it botherin' you?"

Narrowing her eyes at the pesky blonde, Weiss growled, "I _said_ , it's nothing. Why do you care? Leave me alone." She turned away with a huff, crossing her arms and staring into the darkness beyond the edge of the flickering fire's light.

"Alright then, it's nothin'." Yang shrugged, stood, stretched, then examined the two tents waving gently in the night's cool wind. "Where's your tent, darlin'? Where're you gonna sleep tonight?"

"I – I don't rightly know. Propped up against this rock, I suppose. I didn't have the foresight to smuggle a tent on my frantic – when I left."

Yang's face split in a toothy grin. "Ah huh. Didn't think you'd be sleepin' outside much, did ya?"

"No. And I haven't, yet. There are plenty of hotels between Patch and... and home. They are, suitably comfortable, I've decided."

"Glad to hear it! Leaves me lookin' forward to the return trip! But where's your pretty head gonna rest _tonight_?"

Weiss put a finger to her chin and contemplated the question. "It could prove a worthy experience, sleeping in the open. Once, at least. We'll be in Beacon tomorrow, I'm sure they have better quarters available there."

Yang clicked her tongue, wagging her head, rattling her gilded locks. "Oh, I don't think so, Ms. Schnee! Can't afford to lose my reward just 'cause you decided you wanted to catch pneumonia tonight!" She clapped Weiss on the back, vigorously shaking the small girl by the shoulder. "You'll sleep with me!"

"I – What?!" Weiss jerked her head to stare aghast at the towering blonde.

"You heard me! We'll be sharin' a tent tonight! Ain't that great?"

"I think I'd much prefer the stone!"

Yang lowered her face in front of Weiss', then leaned closer, and closer, until Weiss was practically on her back across the rock, barely an inch between their mouths. "Think about it, honey. Just you and me, close, private, an' it's feelin' like a _cold_ night to me-"

Ruby, the blessed, lifesaving girl, called from beside the fire, "Leave her alone, Yang, and come help me cook. You know I'm no good with these cans..."

Yang responded with "Sure thing, sis!", then returned her arresting gaze to the sweating girl cowering below her. "I want you to think about it, sweetie. You're too pretty to be alone for too long." Smiling, she stepped away, heading for the fire, allowing Weiss to take a much-needed breath. Taking a long moment to recover her breath, Weiss managed to peel herself off the rock and hesitantly approach the fire, once again considering whether or not hiring the sisters was a mistake.

Yang was terrifying, in a way. But Weiss' heart was consumed with the thrill of the terror.

 **...**

Dinner passed in much the same fashion as lunch had hours beforehand. Beans roasted in their can over the fire was a new novelty to Weiss, and while they were not particularly savory, they had adequate enough flavor that she didn't feel like _vomiting_ afterwards. She wasn't at home, she didn't have the luxury of choosing her preferred meals for her notoriously picky appetite. Yang's prediction came true; the rising moon brought a subtle chill that infiltrated Weiss' clothes and set her teeth chattering.

Standing with a yawn, Yang stretched and started walking sleepily to her tent. "G'night y'all. Gonna hit the hay early and get outta this _cold_." She disappeared for a moment between the canvas flaps, then stuck her head out again. "See _you_ soon, Ms. Schnee."

Weiss shuffled closer to the fire, wrapping her arms around her knees, and looked at Ruby across the flames. "If she honestly thinks I'm going to... to sleep _with_ her, then-" Ruby's poorly concealed chuckles made her stop, her brows furrowing. "What?"

It took a couple minutes before Ruby was able to catch her breath. Wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, she waved away Weiss' question. "Nothing, nothing. It's nothing." She tucked her hands into her armpits and worked out the last of her giggles, then said, "You can have my tent if you want, I'll share with my sister."

"Are you certain?" Weiss doubted her suspicion was suitably concealed. "Why, why would you do that? For me?"

Ruby shrugged. "It's no big deal. You obviously want to avoid my sister, and I feel inclined to see to your comfort, Ms. Schnee," Weiss sniffed, wrinkling her nose. Ruby poked a stick into the fire, "Does she scare you? She usually scares the girls she likes."

"I-"

"Don't be too scared though, she's not as bad as she seems." It occurred to Weiss then, that neither was Ruby. Indeed, her opinion of the younger sister had changed dramatically, following her earlier conversation with Yang. At least _one_ of her companions was... civil, although still not quite to the standard Weiss had expected. "Anyway, I'm gonna head off. Goodnight, Ms. Schnee." Ruby tossed her stick into the flames, brushing off her pants as she stood and wandered into her tent, calling back, "Just throw some dirt into it to put it out. See you in the morning."

Weiss heard some muffled, incoherent shouts and a few swears from the sisters' tent, assuming that Yang had indeed been expecting _her_ , and was surprised to find Ruby clambering into the bedroll beside her. A strong gust of wind overflowing with cold prompted her to retire herself, and she followed Ruby's advice for the fire before hurrying into her borrowed tent and curling up in the blanket left on the ground.

Tomorrow they'd reach Beacon.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** Westerns work so much better as films.

Next time we get to meet Blake! Yay!

Personally, I'm more excited for Beacon, but whatever.

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Please remember to review/follow/favorite the story! It makes me happy.**

 **Keep moving forward.**


	4. Beacon

**Disclaimer:** _RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth._

 **Author's Notes:** Another rough one, _and_ it's short. Bleh.

* * *

The sky was an empty azure, crossed by circling hawks looking for an absentminded meal, but to the north, gathering storm clouds threatened a heavy rain later in the evening. The tall mountains that sat on the horizon behind the mission's buildings stabbed upwards into the vast blue emptiness, concealing the shining yellow sun behind their high peaks. Amber fields of knee-height grass rustled in the light breeze that washed over the plains, carrying the crisp smell of fresh air and wildflowers' pollen. Far to the south, the wispy trail of smoke from a Schnee Railroad Company train was visible leading away from the approaching town, the sound of the engine's whistle a faint screech barely audible over the large distance.

The conglomeration of structures that made up Beacon started at the bottom of a short crest and staggered up the slope to culminate in a lavishly ornate church with a vigilant bell tower, the giant bronze bell glittering in the dimming light. Each building was constructed of the dark local woods of the mountains; mostly pines and sturdy oaks; save for the church, which was built of finely planed planks of maple brought along by the missionaries from the East.

Swathes of grass slowly began to give way to thin trails that then coalesced into a well-traveled road for the trio of girls to follow into the town, small puffs of dust pluming from their horses' shoes. Two townspeople were waiting for them as the reached the edge of the mission; a tall man with silver hair whose eyes hid behind a dark pair of glasses, and a slightly shorter woman, with bright blonde hair, hovering at the man's shoulder. Weiss tugged her reins toward the pair, followed by Ruby and Yang on either flank. Pulling her horse up short, Weiss waited as the man stepped forward to grasp the bridle and stand at her side.

"Hello, Ms. Schnee," the man said. His voice was calm and gentle, but carried a subtle authority and depth of knowledge that made his words seem intensely powerful. "You weren't anticipated to arrive for another two days." His eyes twinkled with thoughtful curiosity as he peered up at her over his glasses, "And you were expected to arrive by train..."

Weiss kept her face forward, only glancing down sidelong, "And yet you are here to meet us at the edge of town, Father Ozpin, despite our surprise punctuality?"

An amused grin wrinkled the weathered skin by his eyes, "Yes, well, one of our more naïve and fearful members mistook you for approaching bandits."

Yang slowed to a stop beside Weiss, glancing down at the Father across Weiss' gelding, "And if we _had_ been bandits? What would you have done?"

Ozpin's eyes flicked to Yang, but no longer held any of the mirth he had favored Weiss with. "You would have found Beacon to be far more prepared than it appeared. Glynda," He turned his head to look at the woman, still standing in the road, "would you please let everyone know it's safe?"

"Certainly, Father." Glynda bobbed her head then turned sharply on her heel and strut down the road in a straight path aimed directly at the church.

Ozpin returned his attention to the three girls, gently stroking his hand along the gelding's muzzle. "You three must certainly be hungry after your travels. Have you eaten yet?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Perhaps you would join me for a light supper in my home?"

The sisters looked at Weiss for direction, and the white-haired rider nodded politely. "We would be grateful, if it did not cause any undue difficulty for you?"

He waved away her concern and started walking toward a corner of the small town, leading her horse by the slackened reins, "Not at all, Ms. Schnee. One of the main tenets of my creed is the breaking of bread with the weary and the hungry." Ozpin glanced back over his shoulder at the trio, "And you three fit both those descriptions. Come, dinner is waiting."

The great bell raised in the church's tower began to chime as they passed the church, and Weiss watched as the wide doors opened and released a flood of townsfolk, who began scurrying towards their homes. Matronly women tried to corral the dozens of children away from the horses, but Yang's enormous stallion still drew many pairs of wide eyes. The blonde grinned and gave the small ones a quick wink, forming her hand into the shape of a primitive pistol and pointing it at the enraptured boys whose eyes followed more than just her horse. Each boy then got a quick slap from Glynda for their unvirtuous attentions, before the older woman joined the modest party heading towards Ozpin's home.

 **...**

The horses were left tied to a railing of Ozpin's front porch, munching on the sparse grass that made up the Father's lawn, while inside the home the travelers were seated at a long oak table. Plates of food were passed around while Glynda lit candles to push back the growing darkness. Between bites of buttered bread, Ruby asked, "Are you two married?"

"Unfortunately, our beliefs forbid pastors to marry." Ozpin began while handing a dish of potatoes to Yang, "She is, though, a very old friend."

"Hmph!" Glynda sniffed, placing the last candle and extinguishing the match with a curt puff of breath. "I'm not that old."

Ozpin leaned over to Yang, covering his mouth with a hand, "Nor that friendly..." Yang snorted but tried to pass it as a cough when faced with Glynda's withering scowl. "Now, before we eat, let us say a quick prayer..."

And when he finished, they dined.

Weiss wiped her mouth with the corner of her napkin, enjoying the last few lingering flavors of the delicious meal. It had definitely been the best she'd had since she left; the cooks at home might even be in need of some pointers. She leaned back in her chair, letting her hands rest daintily in her lap while she waited for her dining companions to finish. Ozpin, who had appeared to be waiting as well, surprised her by asking, "Have you explained the situation to your friends, Ms. Schnee?"

"Hmm? I, oh, well, no." Yang, shoveling food into her mouth, glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "I thought it prudent we arrive, first." The weakness of her recovery was disappointing.

Ozpin spread his hands. "Well, you have arrived. Would you like to begin, or should I?"

A loud burp interrupted them, Yang leaning back in her chair and patting her stomach. "High rate if I do say so! Delicious!" Turning to Ozpin, she said, "All she's told us is we're transportin' an outlaw, so why don't you catch us up from there?"

He took a moment to match her expectant suspicion with a calm serenity, then began slowly, "She came to us-"

"She?" Ruby asked quickly before getting an angry ' _shush!_ ' from Glynda.

Ozpin smiled and tilted his head at his friend, then continued, "She came to us two weeks ago, after she was captured in a cavalry engagement. We put her in the jail after treating her wounds, and sent a telegram to Atlas. They responded soon, and together we worked out a plan. Someone would come to transport her to justice," He glanced at Weiss, "but they never said it would be a Schnee herself."

Weiss ignored his implied question, sitting forward, "Normally we would have simply put her on the first train to Atlas, but due to some critical circumstances, that is not possible."

Yang cocked her head, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table, either unaware of or refusing to acknowledge Glynda's disapproving glare, "Circumstances, huh? What makes it so she can't ride a train?"

The creak of a chair drew everyone's attention to the head of the table, where Ozpin was rising from his seat. With a final brush of his napkin across his mouth, he straightened his jacket and looked at each girl in turn, saying, "To answer that question, I think it would be best if you met her." He gestured for them to stand, then lead the way out of the house.

 **...**

Glynda carried a candle to light their way through the deepening twilight as they followed the empty streets to the other side of the town, sheltering the fragile flame from the strengthening wind with her hand. The mission's jail was a squat building made of thick oak beams, set a half-step into the ground so the roof was just above head height, the only window cut out of the door and crossed by strong iron bars. Ozpin rapped his knuckles twice on the door, and after a short wait the group was greeted by a gangly youth dressed in a worn cavalry uniform standing at attention in the doorway. "Father Ozpin! H-How can I help you? Are you here to see the prisoner?"

"Yes, Jaune. Have you eaten recently? You look pale."

The boy's shoulders drooped, "It's... she's... she won't let me rest! I-"

The pastor held up a hand, then placed it gently on Jaune's shoulder. "Easy, my son. Go eat, and rest. You have done well. Go." He gave the soldier a small nudge in the direction of the church, then nodded the girls and Glynda inside.

Weiss entered just after the matron, using the handrail to steady herself as she stepped into the prison. The space was cut in half by a line of square wooden posts eight inches thick that held up the low ceiling, each connected to the next by a series of vertical iron bars so close together Weiss doubted she could fit her whole arm between them. The far side of the building was entirely allocated to the cells, each having a stocky bed, chamber pot, and thin window that was just above ground level, offering the prisoners a wonderful view of grass and dirt. Candles were tucked into brass braces nailed to the walls, shedding their warm light across the creaky floor. The near wall had a bench running its full length, iron hooks pressed into the wood along the wall to hang garments, shackles, or keys, the latter of which dangled just by the door. At the very end of the hallway the group was herded into, from inside the last cell, a pair of pale arms hung through the bars, resting against the lock.

"Do I have more _visitors_?" The voice that drifted down the hallway was akin to a raspy growl, any semblance of femininity lost amongst the feral ferociousness. "Or a new _gaoler_? The last was a little faint of heart..."

Ozpin slid to the front of the company, unconcernedly moving to the end of the room and standing opposite the hanging arms, though Weiss noticed he was careful to remain out of their reach. He swung his arm in a presenting gesture, "Ladies, the prisoner."

The three girls shuffled down the hall until they were beside Ozpin, and could finally observe their new charge. Narrowed eyes the color of molten gold prowled across their faces, examining, evaluating, seeking any exploitable weakness. Thick tresses darker than midnight hung about the woman's – creatures? – shoulders, the perfect contrast to her milky skin, dirtied by days in the dusty prison. But what absorbed Weiss' attention, and from her peripheral she could tell did the same to her companions, were the fuzzy ears that poked out from the top of the creature's head, held flat against her scalp in... fear? Anger? Boredom?

"Oh?" The woman licked her lips, revealing for a moment pointed white teeth, "Quite an audience you've brought me, _Father_." The eyes wandered across Weiss' face and clothes, "I see a Schnee, far from home," The golden discs switched to Yang, "a bounty hunter," They flashed to Ruby, but the spark of interest faded from their depths, and they drifted back to Ozpin, "and a young girl, barely old enough to ride. Are these to be my guardians?"

Ozpin ignored her, addressing the party of travelers, "I believe I can trust you three alone with her? I suppose I must, if you are to transport her. I'll be just outside when you are done." He turned to the faunus and crossed himself, "Mercy upon you, child of God," then stepped to Glynda. The pair left, leaving the candle wavering on the bench.

Four pairs of eyes watched them exit, then turned back to one another. Weiss spoke first. "I think it would be best if we left tonight, and utilize the storm."

Yang shot her a confused look, "What? Why? We only just got here, princess! I ain't even had time to get a good drink and you already want to be headin' on?" She put her hands on her hips, "An' why do you want to leave so soon anyway? Last night was your first time sleeping outside and now you want to go ridin' through a _storm_?"

Weiss glared at her, stepping forward and pushing her face in front of the blonde's, "Yes! It would be better if we left early, and the storm would hide our tracks! It would slow them down!"

Piping up from the bench, Ruby asked, "Slow 'them'? Who are they?"

Weiss opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. The sisters wouldn't desert her if they knew the true threat, would they?

The faunus seemed to sense her weakness, and chuckled to herself, "They don't know who I am?" Raising her voice, "You didn't tell them the entirety of their duty, did you, Schnee?" She pressed her face against the bars, smiling evilly at the sisters, "You have allied yourselves with a greedy _viper_ , bounty hunters, who will hoard everything of value just to keep it out of your hands. She's the daughter of a _vulture_ , preying on the weak, and will watch from afar while you _die_ , waiting for your last breath before she _robs_ you. She leads you to your doom."

"Silence, filth!" Weiss screamed, stomping in front of the bars and glaring red-faced at the laughing yellow eyes. "You should be gagged, you disgusting _faunus_! Then your whispered lies would _choke_ you!"

"Who is she, Ms. Schnee?" Ruby asked from the back of the space, standing from the bench and joining her sister in watching the spiteful argument. "Who are we trying to slow down? Why can't we take her by train?"

White teeth caught the candlelight as the creature grinned, slinking to the back of her cell and lying on her bed, dressed in the shadows of the cage. "Tell them, Schnee, and watch them flee from your side!"

Weiss hung her head, grinding her teeth together in frustration as she slowly turned to face the sisters and their curious, demanding expressions. "This," she began, gesturing to the smirking faunus, "is Blake Belladonna of the White Fang." Watching as Yang and Ruby's eyes grew wide, she continued, "And we are her jailors! If we leave tonight and make reasonable time, we'll be safe in Atlas and you two will be rich."

Yang abruptly shut her hanging mouth and put her hand to her face while Ruby continued to stare, eventually collapsing back onto the bench. "We're transporting _the_ Blake Belladonna? Blake 'Nightshade' Belladonna, the wildcat of the West, the dark matriarch of the White Fang and betrothed of the warlord?" She clawed her hands through her hair, "You have to be shittin' me, Ms. Schnee!"

"So you see why we need to leave _immediately_ , and without taking trains, don't you!? The longer we wait-"

"The closer the Fang gets to us." Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, using her arm to support herself against the wall. "Well, it'd be mighty nice if we _could_ take the train, but between your situation and tryin' to outrun the best train robbers in the world, maybe it'd be best if we just not even _think_ about trains."

"Then we leave-"

White light flared through the windows, instantaneously illuminating the entire prison for the blink of an eye before the darkness returned. Moments later, the deep reverberation of thunder rolled through the air, rumbling in their chests, forcing a lengthy pause into the conversation.

When the cacophonous growl eased to an end, Weiss gulped, breathing out through her nose in defeat. "We may be forced to stay the night, after all."

A cackling laugh slithered from the back of the Blake's cell, "Scared of the storm, Schnee? Rain, thunder, and lightning will soon be the least of your worries..."

"Shut up, beast!" Weiss snapped back into the dim prison. She closed her eyes to try and regain her composure, then addressed the sisters, "We should speak to Father Ozpin about our lodgings tonight."

Yang nodded. "I agree," She started walking to the exit, "And I think I need a drink too. A _strong_ one."

 **...**

After discussing their plans with Ozpin, the Father had pointed them in the direction of the mission's mostly vacant inn, down the road from the jail and run by a portly gentleman with a large mustache. Yang helped her sister move their packs and supplies into their separate room, then left in search for a bar just as the first drops of rain splattered into the dirt. Weiss watched her walk into the town from her window, following the bouncing hat with her eyes until it disappeared around a corner.

The rowdy blonde hadn't spoken a word to her since they left the prison, avoiding eye contact and standing far to the side during the explanation to Ozpin, and now Weiss was worried that she was upset with her. Well, she was obviously upset, but upset enough to perhaps abandon their goal? She wouldn't, right? She was too invested in the dual rewards.

As well as maybe...?

Weiss pulled the curtains closed, hiding the rain-streaked glass, and moved to her bed, snuffing the candle before climbing beneath the sheets and resting her head against the pillow. Tomorrow their trial would begin, and it would take all her concentration and energy to confound the Fang and get her small party to civilization quickly.

She soon fell asleep, wrapped in a warm cocoon of covers.

 **...**

Sometime late in the night she was awoken by a sharp knock on her door. She grabbed her derringer from the nightstand as she sat upwards, pointing it at the door and gently lifting the covers from her legs. "Who is it?" Her voice sounded so frightened, so frail, in the darkness. There was no response, and Weiss crept softly across the creaky floorboards to the door, her pistol held close to her chest. "Who's there?" She asked a final time, pulling back the hammer of her weapon.

Moving fast to catch the intruder by surprise, Weiss heaved the door open, shoving the barrel of her pistol into the hall. When she saw nothing but empty air, she cautiously stepped out of her room, scanning down either side of the hallway for a trace of the mysterious knocker. Both ends were equally empty, but just as she turned around to go back to bed, she heard the muffled ' _click!_ ' of the latch on the door beside hers, as though it had just closed.

Groaning as she stumbled back to bed and replaced her pistol on the table by the headboard, she buried herself under the covers and tried to get back to sleep as quickly as possible.

She couldn't tell if she was more annoyed or happy that Yang Xiao Long felt it necessary to notify her of her return.

But the smile on her lips and sense of comfort made strong arguments for the latter.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** The next update for this story might be a long ways off; after finishing this chapter it was apparent to me that some of my critical plot/character points do not make sense. For example, I had to scrap one of Yang's three rules because it was too complicated and difficult to work in. The story in general is similar: it's like a bowling ball that I threw wrong. I know how I _wanted_ it to go, but when it actually started rolling I could only watch as it started to drift toward the gutter. I've also lost my editor so now I don't know if what I want you guys to get is actually coming through.

Well, whatever. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Please remember to review/favorite/follow the story!**

 **Keep moving forward.**


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